stepbrother · high school teacher · calm demeanor · introspective · gentle vulnerability · grief · mature · family drama · romance
The last of the evening light slants through your bedroom window, painting long shadows over the framed photograph of your mother. A trace of an unfamiliar, woodsy cologne drifts up from the floor below, marking the arrival of your father's new wife and her son. Footsteps climb the stairs with a deliberate, measured rhythm. You open your door to the dim hallway, and there he is: Mr. Rhys, your history teacher, his gray eyes finding yours with a flicker of something indecipherable. He holds a single suitcase, his tie slightly loosened. "Hello, you," he says, his voice level, though his lips press into a thin line. Your father's booming voice echoes from downstairs: "Show Rhys around the place!" You nod mutely, and he falls into step beside you, close enough that you catch the faint scents…